AN INFORMAL EMAIL p Useful language: an informal email

Opening expressions
From: Anna Thanks 1 your email I letter.
To: johnston586@gmail.com It was great 2 hear from you.
Subject: News!
Sorry for 3 writing earlier I sorry that I
haven't been in touch for a while.
Hi Sue, /4 you and your family are well.
Sorry that I havent been in touch for a while, but I've been ill. I got flu Responding to news
last week and I had a temprature of 39°C, so I've been in bed since Sorry s hear about your exam results.
four days. I'm feeling a bit better today, so I've been catching up on Glad to 6 that you're all well.
my emails. Luckly my classes at university don't start till next week. Good 7 with the new job.
Hope you a better soon.
How are you? What have you been doing? Anything exciting. Here
everyone are fine (apart from me and my flu!). My brother Ian has Closing expressions
just started his new job with a software-company - I think I told you Anyway, I Well, that's all 9 now.
about it when I last wrote - anyway, he's really enjoying it. How are Hope to hear from you soon. I Looking
10 to hearing from you soon.
your family? I hope their well.
11 my regards (love) to ...
I have some good news - I'm going to a conference in your town Take 12 I 13 wishes I Regards I
in may, from 16th to 20th. Could you recomend a hotel where I (Lots of) love from ...
could stay in the centre of town? It needs to be somewhere not too 14 (= something you forgot and want to
add) Please send me the photos you promised.
expensive because the university is paying. I'll have a free half-day for
siteseeing. Do you think you'll be able show me around? That would
be great. d Plan the content of your em ail.
Well , that's all for now. Please give my regards to your family. 1 U nderline the questions in the email that
Chris wants you to answer.
Hope to hear from you soon.
2 Underline other places in the email where
Take care, you think you need to respond, e.g. I've
been ill.
Anna
3 Think about how to respond to each of the
things you've underlined.
e Write 120-180 words, in two or three
p Beginning an informal email paragraphs. Use informal language
When you are writing an informal email, it is more usual to start with (contractions, etc.) , and expressions
Hi than with Dear.
from Useful language.

a Read the em ail from Anna. It h as 12 highlighted m istakes, four f Check your email for m istakes (grammar,
grammar or vocabulary, four punctuation , and fo ur sp elling. punctuation , and spelling).
W ith a par tner, decide wh at kind of m istake each one is and
correct it. -< p.15
b Read Anna's email again and find sentences that mean . . .
I haven't written or phoned.
I've been reading and replying to my emails.
Have you been doing anything exciting?
c You're going to answer An na's email. Look at the U seful
language expressions and try to complete them.

книга выложена группой vk.com/englishlibrary Writing

writing an informal email • writing skill greetings and endings Unit 1 Relationships

~ - -- - -- - -- - - - - - --
1e N ews fron1 hon1e
Writing an informal email Dear Fergus
1 When you send news or communicate with 1hope all's well with you. l've been meani ng to write
friends in other cities or countrics, how do you with my news for ages, but my work takes upa lot of
usually communica te (lettcr, emai l, instan! my time. Please don 't think it's because I haven 't been
messaging, social media, etc.)? Why? thinking about you all - 1have and l'm getting quite
homesick. But I have to remind myself of why I am
2 Read the emai l from Ma teo to h is friend, Fergus. here, which is to try and get experience as a free lance
Where is Mateo and w hat is he doing there? journal ist and photographer.
l'm now in Sri Lanka visiting sorne tea plantations and
3 How are these things (1-5) expressed in the email?
talking to people about how their lives have changed
Compare_your answers with a partner.
in the last twenty years or so. The countryside here is
sending good wishes suggesting a meeting amazing. At the moment l'm in the hills just outside
2 asking for news 5 the reason fo r writing Kandy which are so lush and green, you wouldn't
3 giving news believe it. l'm trying to get an interview with one of
the plantation owners that I can make into an article
4 Look at the differences between forma l and
for a magazine. Fingers crossed!
informal w ritten English. Toen find and underline
examples of in fo rma l language in the e ma il. So, my plan is to stay here until the end of September
and then get a plane back to Buenos Aires so that 1
funw can go and chat to sorne publishers about my work. lt
Contracted verb fo rms Uncontracted \"erb forms would be great to get together with you then. How's
(e.g. is11 '1) (e.g. is 1101) the family? Is Sarah still working for that awful estate
agent? Do send everyone my love. 1'11 write again soon.
Informal linking words Forma l linking words
(e.g. so, but ) (e.g. therefore, howroer) AII the best,
Mateo
Conversationa l words More formal vocabulary
(e.g. gel , nice) (e.g. receive, pleaS1111t )
Idiomatic expressions Conventiona l language 6 Imagine you have been away from ho me studying
(e.g. it's 110 bi¡.: den/) (C'.g. il is not i111portn11t ) a foreign la nguage or working in a nother countrv.
Write a n e mail (abou t 200 words) to a friend or ·
5 Writing skill greetings and endings family member. lncl ude theSt.' e le ments.
• A g reeting and the reas,>n for writing
Look at these greetings and end ings. Which
• Giving your m·ws (th,· course / work, the
phrases are appropriate for an informa l ema il to a
friend or relative? place, your accommodation, ,,ther studenb /
colleagues, e tc.)
AII my love Best wishes Dear Mr Franks • Askin g for their news
Dear Sir/Madam Hello Hi John • Suggesting meeti ng when you return
Kind regards Love Regards Warm regards • Good wisht>s a ndan ending
Yours Yours fa ithfully Yours sincerely
7 Exchange e mails with your partner. Use these
quest ions to check your partner 's emai l.
• Did their email includt> ali the elements lis ted
in Exercise 6?
• Is the use of tenses corree!?
• Is the styie appropriate (informal) ?
• Did the emai l use an appropria te greeting
and ending?

/, ..
. -,~ ·_,.--._~·"
', ··. ~-.:-'
----.,.. , , _~;< •("
.,
1,t___ __ ,. __ 0;_
... ,
..
FRIENDSHlPS
DIFFtRENCES BETWEEN G~NBIATIONS
AN INFORMAL EMAIL
FllMÍLY •INFLUENClS MEETI NG PEOPLE r
 Upper Intermediate Business Writing
Life
Worksheet 1: Formal and informal correspondence

1 How often do you write emails or letters at work? How formal or informal are
they? Mark the level of formality on the scale and compare it with a partner.

Very formal  Neutral  Very informal

2 Read three pieces of correspondence. What level of formality are they? Write 1, 2
and 3 on the scale and compare with your partner. Explain your reasons.

Dear Ryan 1 2
I am writing in response to your message on my voicemail. Hi
I’d be delighted to give a talk to your business students on
the subject of Modern Management Practices. I’d be I’m afraid my plane is delayed by
grateful if you could send me any days and times you have two hours. Can you pick me up at
in mind so we can finalise the exact date.
around 2 instead?
I look forward to hearing from you.
See you soon. (I hope!)
Best regards
Corinne

Dear Mr Baker 3
With regard to your interest in the position of IT assistant, please find attached the full job
description and application form. Please note that the closing date for applications is the 30th of
this month. Unfortunately, due to the expected high number of applications for this post, we are
only able to reply to those applicants who have been shortlisted.

We thank you for your interest.

Yours sincerely

Alan Johnson

3a The verbs 1–10 tend to be used in more formal correspondence. Match the formal
verbs 1–10 to the less formal verbs in the box.

need tell change say sorry get ask about ask for help stop give

1 inform 6 enquire
2 request 7 alter
3 apologise 8 terminate
4 receive 9 require
5 assist 10 provide

Life Upper Intermediate 2nd edition Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning 2019
 4 Find expressions in the texts in Exercise 2 to complete the table.

FORMAL OR NEUTRAL INFORMAL

Opening 1 Hello
_________________________ 2
_________________________
Reason for writing / Further to your letter … It’s about …
3
Reference _________________________
4
_________________________
Enclosure or I’m enclosing Here is …
attachment 5
_________________________
Give good news We’re happy to inform you that … Good news!
6
_________________________
Apologise / Give bad 7
Sadly … _________________________ Sorry but …
news 8
_________________________
We regret to inform you that …
Request Would it be possible for you to …? Could you …?
9 10
_________________________ _________________________
Thanks / Refer to 11 13
_________________________ _________________________
future contact
12 14
_________________________ _________________________
Closing Kind regards Yours Bye
15 Love
_________________________

Yours sincerely
Ms Maddie Albright

Life Upper Intermediate 2nd edition Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning 2019
78 1can write a formal letter O
Begin nings Ending s
-
Notes You rs faitbfully
lfyou are writing to a stranger or you don't
DearSir
DearMadam your name
know the person's name. use the phrases on
Dear Sir or Madam
theright.
Dea r Mr Wu Yours sincerely
lf you know the person. use Mr. Mrs. Miss.
Dea r Miss Gilberto
Ms. Dr. etc. a nd their surn ame.
Dear Rosa (Witb) best wishes
If you know tbem quite well. you ca n use Kind regards
tbei r first name. Dear Conrad
Dea r Min Ho Love (from )
Por an informal letter to a good fri end or
Hi. Pavel Ali the best / Take care
family member. use the first name.
Note: Love (jrom) is not normally used by a
man writing to a nother man.

Glossary
stranger • a pcrson tha t you do not know.
endose sth • pul sth in a n envelope or packcl
4 5 Mu swe ll Rd with sth else.
London NW4 deposit • a su m of money wh ich is your
15 Apr il 2008 first pay ment for sth (you wi ll
pay the rest later ). (You pay a
deposlt on or for sth .)
s uns h i ne Hol i day Co t t age s
commence • FML begin.
Fore St
Truro 1would be • used when you req uesl sth .
grateful if you SYN I would appreciate it
Dear Mr Ellison
could ... if you could ...
Purther to ou r t e l e phone conversation
in particular • svNs especially. particularly.
of l a st Fri day, I encloee a cheque
f or ESO as a depo eit f o r the r e n t a l whether • if.
of Ra i nbow Cottage fo r one wee k, nearby • not fa r away. svNclose by.
coaaenc i ng 21 Augus t. I would b e don't hesitate • don't fee l worried about doi ng sth.
greteful if you could s e nd me further
to do sth
i n formation about the prop erty, in
particular , whe the r t here is park i ng look forward to • think with pleasure aboul slh
na arby . sth that is going to happen.
We a re p lanni ng to bring our dog . hearing from • receiving your lett er.

=
If this is a problem, please don't you
heeitate to c ontac t me .
I l ook forward t o hear i ng from you. :::.:.:.-:..:..:::i_
Your s s i nce rel y Further AD J has severa ! meanings:
L ~Robe.rnon, 1) comparati ve o ffar: T/i e sLation is furth er t/UIII
tlie bank.
Loui se Robertson
2) (only before a nou n l more: H 11 v1• .110 11 111 1!1
furth er questio11s?
Further to . . . FML is used in lett c-rs to m ('n t iOll
ª previous letter or conversa tion aboul thc s,,nir
subject:
F11rther to my Ietter of 5 /11/y, I am /wppy to · · ·

194 STYLES OF ENGLISH

r

O t cover the letter and answer th ese quest, o ns

Is Louise Robertson go1ng to rent a cottage 7 'I es , .:,he
Is th1s the f irst time she has cont acted Mr Ellison ,
1
Why 1s she sending him f SQ,
2
Will she be leaving or am v1ng on 21 AugusP
3
Are there any other things she needs to know, lf so, whaP
4
Whose address did she write on the nght-hand s1de1
5
6 Whose address did she write on the left-hand s1de1
7 D1d she write the date? lf so, w here,
s Which beginning did she use,
g Which ending did she use?
,o Could she end it 'Take care, Lou 1se' ? Why/Why noP

f) Tick the sentences that are correct and add a cross (X) to the sentences that are w ro ng.
lf you're writing to a family member, you can end 1t wi th 'Lave' and your s1gnature.
1 lf you begin 'Dear Maria', you can end it w1t h 'Kind regards'
2 lf you begin your letter 'Dear Sir', you can end 1t w1 th 'With best w1 shes'.
3 lf you don't know the name of th e person you are w rit1ng to, you beg1n 'Dear Sir or Madam'
4 lf you write 'Ali the best' at the end , you could also w rite 'Take care'
5 lf you begin 'Dear Miss Perisk1c', you should end 'You rs faithfully'.
6 'Yours faithfully ' is a common ending when you are wnt1ng to a stranger

O Which words are missing where the slashes (/) are? Write them at the end .
Could you send me/ details of the accommodat1on ? further-
1 1look forward / hearing / you .
2 lf there 's a problem, please / hesitate / ring me.
3 1/ a photocopy / my 1dentity card with the application form .
4 1 would be/ 1f you / phone me about the meeting.

5 Further / your letter / 7 April , 1 wish to conf1rm my booking .

6 1 would / it if / could help me.
7 Please let me know / particular/ th ere is a beac h nearby
8 1 enclose a cheque for €30 as a / for the renta\ of th e room

O Complete the letter.

40 Llncoln Rise, Churchlie ld , Yorkshire
14 Janu ary 2008 scnd me a receipt far thc amount enclosed.
I wou lcl also (6) it if you coulcl lel
Hot Prope rty Re ntals me know (7) I will be able to park
Barton St in the basement of the building. If not , will l be
Weathe r fi eld able to fine! parking (8) ?
information
Mrs Stephe ns
í>,a< If you neecl any (9) to call
(1) to your Je tter oí 12 January, from me, please don't (10)
I (2) a che que Cor i:500 as~ ~3) me.
on Flat 7, Walsingham Bu1lcl111gs.
Yours (11)
As we agreed. my re ntal contrae! will (4)
on 1 Feb ruar y ancl r un fo r one Jurek Gorzy
year. 1 would be (5) if you could

. d cover the words . What are the words?

ary meanings an
Q Test yourself. Look at t h e 9 Ioss
STYLES O F ENGLISH 195